5/9/13 | North Korea: Isolation or Engagement

Do you want an understanding of possible responsible engagement in North Korea, and whether this might be a good strategy? Join us to hear about the domestic economy, decision-making and important engagement efforts to date.

On this archived call, you will hear from an internationally renowned expert , Matthew Reichel, Executive Director of the Pyongyang Project, an education, tourism and social entrepreneurship-focused organization, who led the PAN experience to North Korea in September 2012. His organization provides academic enrichment opportunities for university students and faculty, as well as developing sustainable social and humanitarian ventures in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Matthew shared his view on the domestic economy and its social governance. He discussed what drives decision making and risk taking among individuals and organizations in North Korea. Matthew will also take dive deep into the prospects for North Korean reform and economic development (or lack there of). He also talked about how successful engagement efforts are conducted with North Korea and how to work with North Koreans responsibly.

We also had member Philip Flores (WPO Asia) who attended the North Korea trip last September on the call, who shared his experiences of being in the DPRK, and how the trip changed their perceptions of the country. This Archived Global Conference Call promises to be an eye opener for all concerned about the state of world peace today.

About Matthew Reichel:

Matthew Reichel is the Executive Director of the Pyongyang Project, a Vancouver-based education, tourism and social entrepreneurship-focused organization dedicated to providing academic enrichment opportunities for university students and faculty as well as developing sustainable social and humanitarian ventures in the DPRK. Matthew has travelled to the DPRK over twenty times over the last five years. He has worked with multiple institutions in the DPRK, including Kim Il Sung University, the Pyongyang Technology Services Centre, the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League, the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, the DPRK Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Rason People’s Committee. Projects have included placing North Korean university students abroad, implementing a six-month educational program for Kim Il Sung University university students and faculty in business, economics and foreign language at Yanbian University in China, organizing various track-II diplomatic exchanges and student programs and most recently working on developing a a system for sustainable social entrepreneurship in the DPRK. Matthew is a member of the Canadian Council for International Cooperation’s Asia Pacific Working Group and has given presentations at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in Ottawa, McGill University, the University of Montreal, Moscow State University, Peking University, Duke University, George Washington University, and the University of Cambridge among others. He lives in Vancouver, BC.